Gelston sanford



(N0 Model.)

G. SANFORD & S. P. SMITH.

I MACHINE FOR OBTAINING OR TREATING FIBERS, 6 c. No. 280,671.

Patented July 3, 1883.

mum HHH N. Pnzns Phala- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GELSTON SANFORD, OF BROOKLYN, AND SAMUEL 1. SMITH, OF NEW YORK, I

ASSIGNORS TO "THE SANFORD UNIVERSAL FIBRE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N.

MACHINEFOR OIBTAININGL OR TREATING FIBERS, 800.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,671, dated July 3, 1 88?.

Application filed October 31, 1882. (No model.)

of the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Obtaining or Treating Fibers, and for other purposes, of which the following is a specification.

Our improved machine is more particularly adapted for treating or operating upon the leaves, stalks, and other fiber-bearing portions of plants for obtaining fibers therefrom, and it may be employed in operating upon such materials either in a green or dry state, and with or without water or chemical solution, or for operating upon fibers previously obtained for the purpose of softening them. The invention is, however, applicable to machines for obtaining fibers from asbestus, and for treating or reducing other mineral substances.

The invention consists, essentially, in the combination of a stationary bed or concave of semicircular or other arc-shaped transverse section, having its surface grooved, ribbed, ridged, or otherwise roughened, and a rubber of semicircular or other arc-shaped transverse section, having its face roughened correspondingly to the bed or concave, and having a reciprocating rotary motion equal in both directions, whereby the substance or ma terials introduced between the-bed or concave and rubber are subjected to a rubbing action.

The invention also consists in providing the 3 5 bed or concave and reciprocating rubber with grooves, ribs, or ridges which have abrupt or straight faces and inclined or slanting backs, so that they present a profile similar to sawteeth, and which are effective in producing a 40 feeding or progressive movement through the machine of the materials or substances under operation.

The invention also consists in making the I face of the reciprocating rubber eccentric to its axis of rotation, and in making the surface of the bed or concave also eccentric to the axis of said reciprocating rubber, so as to obtain a larger or wider opening between the bed or concave and rubber at the side of the machine on which materials or substances are intro- 0 duced.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical transverse section of a machine embodying our invention, and Fig. 2 represents a plan thereof.

Similar letters of reference designate cor responding parts in both figures.

A designates a tank into which water or chemical solution may fiowthrough a pipe, (not here shown,) and which is provided with an overflow, A. In this tank is supported a bed or concave, B, of semicircular or other arc shaped transverse section, and said bed or concave has at one side a feed table or board, B, and at the other side a delivery table or board, B As here represented, the face of this bed or concave is composed of longitudinal pieces a, which are provided with grooves, ribs, or ridges a, and which may be of wood, metal, or any other material, according to the work to be performed. The pieces a, are supported by and securely fastened to planks or stretchers b, and between the several pieces a andtheir supports 6 are openings b, through which water or chemical solution in the tank has free access 7 5 to the interior of the bed or concave. The bed or concave might be otherwise constructed to afford openings through it; but the construction shown is very desirable, because any of the pieces a may be readily removed and 8 replaced by others when desirable.

G designates a movable or working rubber, which is of semicircular or other arc-shaped transverse section. As here shown, the rubber is composed of two. end pieces or sectors, 0, mounted on and fitted to a shaft, 0, staves, pieces, or strips (1, of plank or other material, extending longitudinally between and secured to the end pieces or sectors, and pieces or plates 6, of iron or other metal or material, secured 0 to the staves or pieces cl, and having grooves, ribs, or ridges c. The staves or pieces d and plates 6 are here shown as placed a little distance apart, so as to provide openings (1 between them. The bearings f of the' shaft 0 5 are adapted to rise and fall slightly in housings G and the bearings are pressed down by rubher or other springs g, which are regulated in tension by screws h in a wellknown manner. Therefore it will be seen that the rubber will act with a yielding pressure on substances or materials introduced between it and the bed or concave 13.

Upon the end of the shaft 0 is an arm, D, (shown dotted in Fig. 1. and in full outline in Fig. 2,) and to this arm is attached one end of a connecting-rod, E, the other end of which is secured upon a crank-pin, The crankpin 6 is fixed in a gear-wheel, F, which constitutes the crank, and is mounted on a countershaft, G.

G designates asecond or driving shaft, which is to be rotated by a belt passing over a pulley, G, and which carries a pinion, j, that e11- gages with and drives the wheel F. By this mechanism a reciprocating rotary motion equal in both directions is imparted to the shaft 0 and rubber O.

The grooves, ribs, or ridges a e of the bed or concave B and rubber C have approximately the same profile as saw-teeth, their faces being abrupt or straight and their backs inclined or slanting. The edges or points of said grooves, ribs, or ridges may be sharp where it is desirable that they should have a cutting action; but when designed for operating on fibrous materials, where a cutting action would be destructive to the fibers, the edges or points of the same should be slightly rounded. It will be observed that the grooves, ribs, or ridges on both the bed or concave and rubber are longer and deeper adjacent to the feed board or table than at the delivery side of the machine, and that the space between the bed or concave and rubber is wider on the feeding side than 011 the delivery side. This difference in space is produced in this example of our invention by making the face of the bed eccentric to the shaft C; but it might be produced wholly by making the face of the rubber G eecentricto its shaft. As here shown, the bottoms of the grooves, ribs, or ridges e of the rubber are all in a circle concentric to the shaft 0; but as the grooves, ribs, or ridges adjacent to the feed board or table B are deeper than those 011 the opposite side of the rubber the edges or points of the grooves, ribs, or ridges will be in a circle which is eccentric to the shaft The grooves, ribs, or ridges, when formed like saw-teeth, produce a progressive movement of the material or substance through the machine; or the plates a and 0 might be ribbed, serrated, ridged, or otherwise roughened.

The mechanism for operating the rubber C might be duplicated at the opposite end of the machine, and, if desirable, other mechanism may be provided for the purpose.

\Vhat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a stationary bed or concave having its surface grooved, ribbed, or otherwise roughened, and a rubber of semicircular or arc-shaped transverse section, having its surface roughened correspondingly to that of the bed or concave, and having a re ciprocating rotary motion equal in both directions, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of the stationary bed or concave and the rubber, both having their surfaces provided with ribs or ridges having abrupt or straight faces and inclined backs, and said rubber having a reciprocating rotary motion equal in both directions, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of the stationary bed or concave and the rubber, the latter having a reciprocating rotary motion equal in both directions, both said bed or concave and rubber having their faces provided with ribs or ridges which have straight or abrupt faces and inclined or slanting backs, and said bed or concave having its face eccentric to the axis or said rubber, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

4. The combination of the stationary bed or concave and the rubber, the latter having a reciprocatii'ig rotary motion equal in both directions, both said bed or concave and rubber having their faces eccentric to the axis of said rubber, and having ribs or ridges the faces or which are abrupt or straight and the backs of which are inclined or slanting, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

5. In combination witha tank for receiving and holding water or a chemical solution, a bed or concave fixed therein, having a grooved, ribbed, or ridged rubbing-surface, and provided with passages communicating with the interior of the tank, and a rubber having its surface grooved, ribbed, or ridged correspondingly to that of the bed or concave, for operation substantially as described.

GELSTON SANFORD. SAMUEL 1?. SMITH.

\Vitnesses:

FREDK. HAYNEs, T. J. KEANE. 

